Primary sourceBook1900
Der Musterstaat
Alfarabi · 1900
A German translation of al-Farabi's treatise on the ideal, virtuous political state.
A German translation of al-Farabi's own treatise on the virtuous, ideal political state.
About this source
What it is
Der Musterstaat ("The Model State") is a German translation, published in 1900 by Friedrich Dieterici, of a political treatise originally written in Arabic by al-Farabi. The scanned book is held by the Internet Archive.
Why it matters
This work lays out al-Farabi's vision of the ideally governed city, often compared to Plato's idea of the just state. The translation also situates al-Farabi within the wider connection between Arabic and Greek philosophy, showing how Islamic scholars preserved and built on classical Greek thought during the medieval period.
Look closer
- Why would a 10th-century philosopher write about an imagined ideal city rather than describing a real one?
- What does the existence of a German translation, made centuries later, tell you about al-Farabi's lasting influence?
- How might translation change or simplify the philosopher's original meaning?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Al-Farabi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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